Cost of Living Comparison Between Solothurn and Barcelona Cost of Living Comparison Between Solothurn and Barcelona

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,824 in Solothurn versus $2,367 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,426 in Solothurn versus $3,465 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,029 in Solothurn versus $4,563 in Barcelona.

Living in Solothurn is roughly 19% more expensive than Barcelona, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Solothurn 111% above, Barcelona 77% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.88 CHF 24.35

$17.58 €15.12

75.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$143 CHF 113

$68.4 €58.9

108.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$20.70 CHF 16.32

$14.06 €12.09

47.23%

Cappuccino

$6.63 CHF 5.23

$2.78 €2.39

138.49%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.61 CHF 4.42

$2.80 €2.41

100.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.13 CHF 4.04

$2.06 €1.78

149.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.64 CHF 5.24

$4.46 €3.84

48.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.24 CHF 4.92

$4.61 €3.96

35.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 CHF 1.78

$1.24 €1.07

82.26%

White Bread (500g)

$3.43 CHF 2.70

$2.03 €1.74

68.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.39 CHF 2.67

$1.92 €1.65

76.56%

Eggs

$7.47 CHF 5.89

$3.31 €2.85

125.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$29.54 CHF 23.29

$18.43 €15.85

60.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$30.76 CHF 24.25

$9.49 €8.16

224.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$38.99 CHF 30.74

$19.16 €16.48

103.50%

Apples (1kg)

$4.22 CHF 3.33

$2.64 €2.27

59.85%

Banana (1kg)

$2.90 CHF 2.28

$2.45 €2.11

18.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.12 CHF 2.46

$2.12 €1.82

47.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 CHF 3.42

$2.85 €2.45

52.28%

Potato (1kg)

$1.93 CHF 1.52

$2.04 €1.75

-5.39%

Onion (1kg)

$2.02 CHF 1.59

$1.85 €1.59

9.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.50 CHF 1.97

$1.47 €1.26

70.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.06 CHF 0.84

$0.84 €0.73

26.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.30 CHF 8.91

$7.14 €6.14

58.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.27 CHF 8.09

$7.88 €6.78

30.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.65 CHF 2.09

$1.38 €1.19

92.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.43 CHF 1.92

$2.31 €1.99

5.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.60 CHF 2.84

$2.98 €2.56

20.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$98.1 CHF 77.4

$29.26 €25.17

235.34%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.67 CHF 6.05

$4.60 €3.95

66.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.19 CHF 3.30

$2.07 €1.78

102.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$73.1 CHF 57.6

$29.18 €25.10

150.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.30 CHF 1.82

$1.84 €1.58

25.00%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$38.3K CHF 30.2K

$39.0K €33.6K

-1.93%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$37.8K CHF 29.8K

$32.7K €28.1K

15.55%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$100 CHF 78.9

$188 €162

-46.74%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$30.95 CHF 24.40

$22.93 €19.73

34.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.8 CHF 45.53

$36.71 €31.58

57.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$74.0 CHF 58.3

$57.4 €49.35

28.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.25 CHF 19.12

$20.70 €17.80

17.15%

Cinema Ticket

$24.39 CHF 19.23

$11.19 €9.63

117.96%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$3,424 CHF 2,700

$721 €620

374.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.8K CHF 15.6K

$15.0K €12.9K

31.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$140 CHF 111

$86.2 €74.2

62.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.53 CHF 33.53

$37.07 €31.89

14.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.3 CHF 78.3

$102 €87.8

-2.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$188 CHF 148

$116 €99.7

62.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,265 CHF 997

$1,534 €1,319

-17.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,065 CHF 840

$1,220 €1,050

-12.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,854 CHF 1,462

$2,696 €2,319

-31.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,755 CHF 1,384

$2,013 €1,732

-12.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$10.3K CHF 8,088

$7,220 €6,211

42.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,092 CHF 4,014

$5,189 €4,463

-1.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,149 CHF 5,636

$2,359 €2,029

203.01%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.09

3.39

-38.35%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Solothurn: May 30, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,265 in Solothurn and $1,534 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Solothurn pays 203% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $143 in Solothurn vs $68.0 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $604 vs $318 per month, with Barcelona cheaper across the board.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Solothurn vs Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Solothurn and Barcelona differ by about 19% in total monthly costs ($2,824 vs $2,367 including rent). Barcelona is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Solothurn pays 203% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,265 in Solothurn versus $1,534 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $3,424 in Solothurn versus $721 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 90% higher in Solothurn. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Barcelona is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Solothurn and Barcelona are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Barcelona gentler on the wallet – expenses run 19% less than in Solothurn. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.